(GILBERTOWN, Ala.) - Today was the first day back to school for South Choctaw County students after one of their classmates was killed coming back from a football game Friday night.
15-year-old Ottis Brewer was killed when the bus flipped after getting hit by a car. Police say that car's driver ran a stop sign. At least 26 others on the team bus were injured. Authorities say passengers in the car actually ran away after the crash.
It happened in Coffeeville, as the team was on it's way back to Gilbertown after playing in Flomaton.
In Grove Hill today, three men were lead from the Clarke County Jail to face a judge.
"Anything to say?" LOCAL 15 News' Darwin Singleton asked.
"It was an accident," one of the men said.
An accident that investigators say they caused. An accident that killed one local high school student, and left more than 20 others injured.
"I don't know that you ever get over anything like this. I think you just deal with it," said Leo Leddon, assistant principal at Southern Choctaw High School.
His team and supporters were returning to Choctaw County last Friday night after a game in Flomaton. But when they reached an intersection in Coffeeville, the bus was broadsided by a car that deputies say ran a stop sign. The impact killed 15 year old Otties William Brewer, a band member and football team manager, a favorite here at South Choctaw High.
"If he saw you and thought you were having a bad day, he would come by and make a joke or tell you something funny. He just endeared himself to this student body by the way he did those things," recounts Leddon.
"There's a lot of angry people that don't understand. And until the investigation is over, we can't explain to them what happened," says Ray Norris, Choctaw County Sheriff.
Three of the four men have been arrested so far. Brandon Jackson of Jackson; Wayland Cartez of Mobile; and Terrack LaShaun McDonald, also of Jackson. All were captured by deputies after running from the accident scene.
"As far as what caused the accident, we're waiting on direction from the Alabama State Troopers," says Norris.
Today, chains slowed their pace as they left the jail for the courthouse giving time for at least one of them to express regret about the crash.
"I'm sorry," he said being led off to his first court appearance.
So far, no word from officials what these three men will be charged with.
